The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-30

onial. To think that Caroline two years my
junior. and SO chi'dlike to be five years my
junior in nature, should be engaged to be m ar
ried before me- But that is what happens in
families more often than we are apt to remem-
ber
August 16.-Interesting news to-day Charles
she says, has pleaded that their marriage may
just well be this year next, and lie seems
to have nearly converted my mother TO the same
way of thinking. / do not, myself, see any rea-
son for delay. beyond the standing one of my
father having yet had opportunity of
forming opinion upon the man. the time, or
anything However. he takes his lot very quiz
city, and they are coming home to talk the
question over with us. Caroline having decided
not to make any positive arrangements for this
change of state until she has seen me- Subject
to my own and my fathers approval. she says.
they are inclined to settle the date of the wed
ding for November, three months from the
present time; that it shall take place here in the
village: that |, of course, shall be bridesmaid.
and many other particulars. She draws an art
less picture of the probable effect upon the
minds or the villagers. of this romantic perform
ance in the chancel Of our old church, in which
she is to be chief actor-the foreign gentleman
dropping down like god from the skies, pick
ing her up and trum phantly carrying her off
Her only grieT will be separation from me, but
this is to be aesuaeed by my going and staying
with her for long months at a time This simple
prattle is very sweet to me, my dear sister. but
Icannot help feeling sad at the occasion Of it.
In the nature of things it is obvious that shall
never be to you again what hitherto have been
your guide. counsellor, and most familiar
friend.
NJ. de la Hests does certainly seem to be all
that one could desire protector to q sensitive,
fragile child like Caroline. and for that 1
thankful Still, / must remember that /
him as yet only through her eyes For her sake
l am intensely anxious to meet him, and scru-
tinize him through and through and learn what
the man is really made of who is to have such
treasure in his keeping The engagement has
certainly been formed little precipitately; I
quite agree with my father in that. Still, good
and happy marriages have been made in hurry
before now. and mother seems we'll satisfied.
August pa terrible announcements came
this morning and we are in deep trouble. have
been quite unable to steady my thoughts on any
thing to-day till now-half- past eleven at night
and only attempt writing these notes because
l am too restless to remain idle, and there is
nothing but waiting and waiting left for me to
do. Mother has been taken dangerously ill at
Versailles; they were within day or two of
starting; but all thought of leaving must now be
postponed for she cannot possibly be moved in
her present state. don't like the sound of
hemorrhages at all in a woman of her full hab-
its and Caroline and the MARKETS. have not
aggeratad their accounts am certain. On tho
receipt of the letter my father instantly decided
to go to her. and have been occupied all day in
getting him off. for as he calculates on being ab
sent several days, there have been many mat
ters for him &c arrange before setting out-tho
chief being to find some one who will do duty
for him next Sunday quest of no small diff
Guilty az such short notice; but at last poor old
feeble Mr.. Dugdale has agreed to attempt it,
with Mr.. High an, the Scripture reader, to assist
him in the lessons.
fain would have gone with my father to
cape the irksome anxiety of awaiting her: but
somebody had to stay. and could best be spared.
George has driven him TO the station to meet
the last train. by which he will catch the mid
night boat. and reach Havre some time in the
morning. He hates the sea, and night passage
in particular. hope he will get there without
mishap of any kind; but feel anxious for him,
stay -at-home as he is, and unable to cope with
any difficulty. Such errand too; the journey
will be sad enough at best almost think
ought to have been the one to go TO her.
EAugust Ill nearly fell asleep OF heaviness OF
spirit, last night, over my writing. My father
must have reached Paris by this time; and now
here comes letter
Later.-The letter was to express an earnest
hope that my father had out. My poor
mother is sinking. they fear. What will become
of Caroline? o. how l wish could see mother!
Why could not both have gonef
Later-I get up from my chair. and walk
from window to window, and then and
write llne L cannot even divine how poor
Carolines marriage is to be carried out if mother
time to talk to her and receive some directions
from her about Caroline and NJ. de la Heste-a
man whom mel Their my father nor have seen.
i, who might be useful in this emergency am
doomed to stay here waiting in suspense.
August pa letter from my father contain
ing the sad news that my mothers spirit has
flown. Poor little Caroline is heart broken-she
was always more my mothers pet than l was
II is some comfort to know that my father
rived in time to hear from her lips her
strongly expressed wish that Carolines marriage
should be solemnized as soon as possible. NJ.
de la Heste seems to have been a great favorite
of my dear mothers; and l suppose it now be-
comes almost a sacred duty of my father to ac-
cept him as q son-in-law without criticism.
TL-HER GLOOM LIGHTENs LITTLE.
September 1O.--I have inserted nothing in my
diary for more than fortnight. Events have
been atocether too sad for me to have the spirit
to put them paper. And yet there comes a
time when the act of recording ones trouble is
recognized as welcome method OF dwelling
upon it.
My dear mother has been brought home and
buried here in the parish 1t was not so much
fathers, who particularly desired that she
should lie in the family vault beside his first
wife. / saw them side by side before the vault
was closed-two women beloved by one man.
As | stood, and Caroline by my side, fell into
a sort of dream. and had an odd fancy that Car
oline and might be also beloved of one. and lie
like these together-an impossib.lity of course,
being sisters. When I awoke from my revere,
Caroline took my hand ana said 1t was time to
leave.
September 1.-THE wedding indefinitely post
poned. Caroline is like girl awaken
ing in me middle of somnanb ulis tic exper-
fence, AID does not realize where she is, or how
she stands. She walks about silently, and l can
not tell her thoughts as | used to do. 1t was her
own doing to write to NJ. de la Heste and tell
him that the wedding could not posi- bly, take
place this autumn. as originally planned. There
is something depressing in this long postpone
nent. if she is to marry him at all; and yet do
not see how it could be avoided.
October 20.-I have had so much to occupy me
in consoling Caroline that have been continually
overlooking my diary. Her life was much nearer
to my mothers than mine was She had never,
as L. lived away from home long enough to be-
come self-dependent. and hence in her first loss.
and all that it involved she dropped like rain
beaten lily. But she is of nature whose
wounds heal. even though they may be
deep. and the supreme poignancy of her sorrow
mas already passed.
Ny father is of the opinion that the wedding
should not be delayed too long. While at Yer
,ailles he made the Acquaintance of NJ. de la
Heste, and though they had but snort aud hur-
red communion with each other, he was much
by NJ de la Hestes disposition and
conduct. and is strongly in favor of his suit 1t
8 odd that Carolines betrothed should influence
a his favor all who near him. His por-
rait. which dear Caroline has shown me, exhb-
is him of physique that partly accounts for
his: but there must be something more than
mere appearances, and it is probably some sort of
ylamor fascinating power-the quality of
which prevented Caroline from describing him
20 me with any accuracy of detail. AT tho same